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Joe Biden vows to help rebuild Hawaii after deadly wildfire

August 22, 2023

Two weeks after blazes killed at least 114 people and left hundreds more missing, the US president traveled to Hawaii to survey the damage caused. Biden has been criticized over a lackluster response to the crisis.

https://p.dw.com/p/4VQ8L
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden participate in a blessing ceremony with the Lahaina elders at Moku'ula as they visit areas devastated by the Maui wildfires
The US president and first lady Jill Biden participated in a blessing ceremony as they visited areas devastated by the Maui wildfiresImage: Evan Vucci/AP/picture alliance

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Hawaii on Monday, vowing to help rebuild following Maui's devastating wildfires.

After a tour of the blackened city of Lahaina, Biden said the US government would stand by the people of Maui for "as long as it takes."

"We’re focused on what’s next. That’s rebuilding for the long term …and doing it together," Biden said.

Joe Biden and Jill Biden looking at burnt out cars
Joe Biden and Jill Biden inspected the fire damage around LahainaImage: Evan Vucci/AP/picture alliance

The president also visited a 150-year-old Banyon tree that managed to survive the fires.

"Today it's burned but it's still standing," Biden said of the tree.

"The tree survived for a reason. I believe it's a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis."

The trip comes amid criticism that his administration has been too slow to respond to the disaster.

'An emotional day' ahead

Biden put his Lake Tahoe vacation on hold on Monday to travel to areas affected by the deadly wildfires.

Nearly two weeks ago wildfires swept through the Hawaiian island, killing at least 114 people and leaving 850 people missing.

"It's going to be an emotional day for everyone," White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton told reporters on Air Force One.

In a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Biden said: "This recovery will be long and challenging. But we'll continue to be on the ground, providing support to the people of Hawaii for as long as it takes."

Many Maui residents have said that recovering lost loved ones and identifying victims has been a slow process, and have criticized the government for its response.

This could mean that "a warm welcome may not be assured for Biden in some circles on Maui," the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper suggested. According to the White House, more than 1,000 federal personnel are on the ground, including 450 search and rescue team members.

Hawaiians rally to support each other after Maui fires

Victim identification process taking time

Search teams have managed to cover 85% of the search zone but the remaining 15% could take weeks, Governor Josh Green said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Deanne Criswell, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator, defended the government's response Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Criswell also acknowledged the victim identification process could be slow and said experts from the FBI, the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services had been sent to assist with the process.

Hawaii emergency agency head defends fire response

zc, kb/jcg (Reuters, AFP)